Hafeez Critiques Pakistan's Decision to Risk Injured Fakhar Against New Zealand
Click to start listening
Synopsis
Mohammad Hafeez criticizes the management's decision to risk Fakhar Zaman during the ICC Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand, leading to his absence for the entire tournament. Hafeez also critiques Babar Azam's performance in the game.
Key Takeaways
- Hafeez condemns management's decision regarding Fakhar.
- Fakhar's injury occurred early in the match.
- Babar Azam's performance was scrutinized.
- Pakistan's title defense is further weakened by injuries.
- Management decisions impact team performance significantly.
New Delhi, Feb 20 (NationPress) Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez has vehemently condemned the team management's choice to risk Fakhar Zaman in the ICC Champions Trophy opener against New Zealand, a decision that ultimately sidelined the star opener for the entire tournament.
Fakhar suffered a knee injury during the first over of Pakistan's match against New Zealand while attempting to chase a ball in the outfield, which forced him to exit the game. Although he returned to the pitch during Pakistan's batting innings, ICC regulations barred him from taking the opening spot. Instead, he was positioned at No. 4, a choice Hafeez believes was a significant error.
“You should award the Champions Trophy to the individual who decided to send Fakhar to bat at No. 4. He was unable to run effectively. The match was lengthy, and he was in distress. One cannot expect him to merely stand there and hit every delivery out of the park. He faced difficulties running between the wickets, which piled additional pressure on Babar Azam,” Hafeez expressed on PTV Sports.
In addition to Fakhar's injury, Hafeez also voiced concerns regarding Babar's tactics during Pakistan's 60-run loss. The captain scored 64 runs off 90 balls but did not accelerate when it was crucial.
“Babar is an exceptional player. He has amassed nearly 18,000 to 20,000 international runs, but what was his intent today?” Hafeez questioned. “He scored a fifty and appeared content, but Pakistan lost the match. If his innings had propelled the game forward, it would have been significant. Instead, his half-century proved detrimental to Pakistan. Why didn’t we commence batting with that intent during the powerplay?” he added.
Pakistan's title defense at home had already been compromised when Saim Ayub was ruled out of the tournament after twisting his ankle during the Test series in South Africa.
